OCEL and LAMATA, the Lagos State Government Agency have been assigned to plan, implement, regulate and franchise sustainable integrated public transport in Lagos. On April 28, 2022, the agencies signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to successfully deploy an Electric Vehicle (EV) Infrastructure Ecosystem which comprises electric buses, charging stations and other supporting infrastructures, and achieve a sustainable road transport system in Lagos State. The MoU would also contribute to improvement of mass transit infrastructure.
To ensure success of the project, OCEL partnered with Yutong Bus Co Limited, the largest electric vehicle manufacturer in the world, for production of electric buses that have air conditioning and Wi-Fi. Upon arrival of these electric buses, OCEL is responsible for delivering charging stations and spare parts needed for effective operations. Commencement of the Sustainable Transport Initiative — one of Oando’s pipeline projects to support Nigeria in attaining its net zero goal by 2060 — is marked by the receipt of the electric buses and charging stations.
Transport Initiative will provide employment for about 5,000 people.
Decarbonizing the transport system of Nigeria is the strategic vision of the country and by so doing, energize the socio-economic impact of transportation within the nation. In the next seven years and all through the rollout of the 12,000 buses, beginning in Lagos State, the initiative will convert the current combustion mass transit buses to electric, and eventually across Nigeria. This initiative will also enable an improvement in air quality, enhancement of public health and enablement of employment for about 3,000 new drivers and 2,000 workers.
Oando’s EV rollout plan has strategic alignment with the Nigeria Energy Transition Plan (NETP) for the sole aim of supporting the Nigerian Government in implementing EV across the country. The Oando-Yutong Joint Venture Partnership will manufacture and deploy additional electric buses during the rollout phases, design and facilitate training programs for specific stakeholders, ensure provision of technical support and after-sales service, manage a supply chain network to ensure availability of spare parts when required, and construct a local EV assembly plant to enhance indigenous capacity.
Audacity and innovation, transforming Nigeria’s energy future.
Managing Director of Yutong West Africa, Mr. Frank Lee, stated that it is the first time Yutong is delivering electric mass transit buses in Sub-Saharan Africa and the first process in deploying a large scale electric-powered public road transport system in Nigeria. In his statement, this delivery has made them global suppliers of EVs in Middle East, South America, Europe and Asia. The advanced technology capabilities of these electric buses ensure they offer outstanding performance. This makes the vehicles suitable as a public transportation option in Nigeria.
The Chairman of OCEL, Adewale Tinubu, commented on this initiative, saying audacity and innovation have always been key drivers of the company’s journey to ensure transformation of the energy future of Nigeria. The success of this project to this point is also owed to solid Public-Private Partnerships. Collaborative efforts of the Lagos State Government under LAMATA in supporting the initiative was also commended. Commencement of this project serves as a model for organizations wanting to go into sustainable transportation.
Sustainable transport ecosystem reduces carbon footprint of commuters.
Also giving his remarks on the project, the President & CEO of OCEL, Dr. Ainojie Irune, described this period as a critical one for Lagos State and the whole country at large. He explained that development of a sustainable transport ecosystem is beyond deploying electric vehicles but reduction of the carbon footprint of the about seven million transport commuters and ensuring positive impacts on the socio-economic indices of transportation. The EV infrastructure, designed for facilitation of optimal efficiency of vehicles will be the basis of future EV utilization in Nigeria.
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